Israel’s ‘new hope’ for spinal injuries

The “holy grail” of orthopaedic research — helping paralysed patients with spinal injuries to walk again — may have come a step closer, thanks to scientists at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the biotech company Matricelf.

New technology developed by Matricelf, the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Centre and the Sagol Centre for Regenerative Medicine at TAU will enable “the world’s first implantation of an engineered spinal cord in a paralysed patient.”

The Loewenstein team is looking at selecting suitable patients for the treatment, and collecting blood samples for the production of personalised neural implants. This is a significant step toward implementing Matricelf’s technology in humans, to test its effectiveness in enabling paraplegics to walk again. Ultimately, the aim is to implant an engineered spinal cord in a patient. 

Matricelf estimates that if everything progresses as planned, it will be possible to complete the process and begin treatment of a selected patient in the first half of 2027.

The scientific breakthrough is based on a revolutionary organ-engineering technology developed at TAU by Professor Tal Dvir of the Sagol Centre for Regenerative Biotechnology, who also serves as Matricelf’s chief scientist.

A personalised neural implant is produced from the patient’s own cells and tissues — a kind of biological “spare part” for replacing the damaged tissue — and then implanted in the area of the spinal cord injury. By using the patient’s own cells and tissues the researchers intend to reduce the risk of implant rejection and improve its integration into the body.

Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Centre, one of the world’s leading centres for the rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injuries, is responsible for the collaboration’s clinical aspects, including the identification and evaluation of patients and supporting them throughout the process. 

At the same time, Matricelf emphasises that the collaboration with Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Centre and the beginning of the patient identification process do not constitute approval to begin the clinical trial or to perform implantations in humans. Treatment can begin only after all scientific and regulatory milestones have been completed and final approval has been received from the Israeli Ministry of Health.

Dr Dianne Michaeli, deputy director of the Orenstein Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department at Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Centre, said: “Our department is a leader in this field in Israel, with extensive experience in treating people with complex spinal cord injuries. Our in-depth familiarity with the patients and their rehabilitation processes enables us to contribute to the identification and evaluation of suitable candidates for the study. 

“The collaboration with Matricelf connects Loewenstein’s clinical and rehabilitation expertise with innovative regenerative medicine technology, in the hope that in the future it will be possible to offer new treatment options to people living with paralysis due to spinal cord injury.”